Совет города Саутфилд разрешил строительство новой АЗС компании Kroger

SOUTHFIELD — In a 4-3 vote at its Aug. 24 meeting, the Southfield City Council approved a rezoning and special land use request from Kroger to construct and operate a new gas station located at 19991 W. 12 Mile Road. The building at 19991 West 12 Mile Road, which is at the intersection with Evergreen Road, previously held a Bank of America and is attached to a plaza with multiple businesses, including Kroger. According to the Southfield Assessor’s Office, the bank closed in December 2022. The rezoning and special land use requests were separate motions, and both passed in 4-3 votes with Council President Pro Tem Coretta Houge, Councilwoman Ashanti Bland and Councilwoman Yolanda Haynes voting no on each motion. The close vote was in relation to the condition of the store adjacent to the gas station site. According to the council, Southfield residents have complained in the past about the store, citing dirty floors, poor food quality and limited options. Allegedly, the store has only seen improvements recently with the discussions of the gas station. Councilman Micheal Mandelbaum said that while he is supportive of the redevelopment, he hopes that the improvements to the adjacent grocery store are continuous and consistent. “I hope the improvements that Kroger is making are not just in an attempt to get the fuel station,” he said. Houge said she has issues with the potential traffic, especially because University K-12 Academy is down the road. “We are about to build the largest school in our city down the street,” she said. “We have to make sure our youth are protected.” Houge said she hopes the gas station sees success, but that Kroger also needs to respect the shoppers at this location and the surrounding community. Council President Charles Hicks was the tie-breaking vote at the meeting. “Don’t make me regret it,” he said. Cam Barrett, the corporate affairs manager of the Kroger Michigan Division, said Kroger is committed to providing quality stores. He said the company is going to take feedback from store associates and the community to ensure needs are met. “It’s about identifying opportunities (for feedback), making sure we find the right solutions and putting the right people in place to resolve issues,” Barrett said. The cost of the project and the construction timeline are yet to be determined. Once complete, the gas station is expected to have 10 fueling stations, create six full-time jobs and operate between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Approving the rezoning request allows Kroger to redevelop the site and turn it into a gas station. There are two additional gas stations located within the same intersection of West 12 Mile and Evergreen Road.